NBA Player News

Tyson has been upgraded to available, but it’s unlikely he sees many minutes. He’s been out of Denver’s rotation throughout the playoffs.

With Andrew Nembhard (back, neck) returning after a one-game absence, there were going to be fewer minutes available to Jones. However, his not playing at all was a bit surprising. Nembhard played 24 minutes and T.J. McConnell played 16, with Quenton Jackson getting 18 minutes off the bench. There was no room in the rotation for Jones, who has to appear in 17 of Indiana’s final 20 games to fully guarantee his contract for the 2026-27 season.

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle continues to stick with a timeshare at the center position, with Huff and Micah Potter (10 points, six rebounds, one block and one three-pointer) handling the responsibilities. On Wednesday, Huff logged 25 minutes while Potter logged 24, with the overlap occurring due to both being on the court in the final minutes of the 130-107 defeat. Over the past month, both have provided top-100 value in eight-cat formats and are worth a look in deeper leagues.

Nesmith was back in the Pacers’ rotation after a five-game absence, and he was immediately thrust into the starting lineup. He had a rough go of it against the Clippers, shooting 1-of-4 from two and 0-of-4 from beyond the arc. Nesmith was limited to 20 minutes, and his fantasy value was low even before the ankle injury. Besides his status as a starter, there isn’t much reason to consider rostering Nesmith in most fantasy leagues.

After missing three games with a sprained wrist, Siakam played 30 minutes against the Clippers. And he was highly effective, shooting excellent percentages from the field and the foul line. There may not have been any defensive stats to speak of, but most fantasy managers will be happy that Siakam was allowed to play 30 minutes in a blowout defeat. Indiana plays two more games in Week 19, and the good news for fantasy managers is that they don’t have a back-to-back. Hopefully, that means Siakam will be available for both.

Garland’s playing time did not change much in his second appearance as a Clipper, with the 24 minutes being one more than his tally in Monday’s win over the Warriors. That said, he looked a bit more comfortable with his new teammates this time around, recording eight assists with two turnovers. Garland, who was responsible for five turnovers in his Clippers’ debut, also shot 50 percent from the field on Wednesday. While the Clippers play two more games in Week 19, the back-to-back likely means Garland will only be available for one.

Limited to six points in Monday’s win over the Warriors, Lopez nearly tripled his output in Wednesday’s blowout of the Pacers. The veteran center played 21 minutes, with the playing time taking a slight hit with the game being a blowout. At a minimum, the Clippers won’t have backup center Yanic Konan-Niederhäuser (foot) for their next two games, so that may result in a slight increase in playing time for Lopez. However, given how his workload has been managed, that isn’t guaranteed.

Playing against the Pacers for the first time since being traded to the Clippers, Mathurin had an excellent night off the bench. The fourth-year guard shot the ball well from the field and the charity stripe while recording a complete stat line. Mathurin did his damage in 22 minutes, with his playing time being affected by the Clippers winning by a 130-107 final score. Since the trade, he’s averaged just over 29 minutes per game, so opportunities have not been hard to come by for Mathurin in his new home.

Konan-Niederhäuser (foot) injured his right foot during the first half of Wednesday’s win over the Pacers. More will be learned about the severity of the injury on Thursday, and the rookie has already been ruled out for games in San Antonio (Friday) and Memphis (Saturday). If Konan-Niederhäuser has to miss time, Isaiah Jackson would slide into the backup center role. He played 18 minutes against the Pacers, finishing with 10 points, four rebounds, two assists and three blocked shots.

Leonard only played 30 minutes on Wednesday, with the blowout ending his night after just three quarters. His consistent excellence has made him one of the best players in fantasy basketball this season, with the Clippers’ star last failing to score at least 20 points in a game on November 20. The Clippers play two more games in Week 19, but it’s a back-to-back. With the Spurs being on the slate for Friday and the Grizzlies the following night, it would be unsurprising if Leonard sits out the latter for injury management reasons.

Rollins didn’t have a great night shooting the basketball, but he did provide solid value in the rebound and assist categories. Starting for the injured Kevin Porter Jr. (knee), Rollins’ 12 assists were the most in a game for him since November 20, when he dished out a career-high 14 against the 76ers. Rollins played 33 minutes against the Hawks, with Milwaukee’s lack of point guard depth contributing to his playing more than the other four starters. The Bucks play twice more during Week 19, starting with the Jazz on Saturday.